TDG’s world-first in-ceiling ‘Skybar’

We’d rather hoped the ‘Skybar’ might be a place for sipping cocktails while looking down on Darling Harbour, but TDG Audio’s Skybar is almost as exciting in being a new idea claimed as a world-first — an in-ceiling (or in-wall) soundbar, with associated satellite speakers.

A full five or seven-channel surround system can be delivered by just three discrete boxes — one Skybar LCR and two Skybar Satellites. The $1599 Skybar LCR uses two 76mm heavy-duty drivers for each channel, so six in all, along with an additional 25mm titanium-dome pivoting tweeter to support dialogue from the centre channel. A 15-degree angled baffle directs sound towards the audience when mounted in-ceiling, or left/right towards the audience when mounted in-wall. The Skybar Satellite features two front-firing 76mm full-range drivers and one titanium-dome pivoting tweeter to act as a side or surround channel, while a third 76mm reflecting speaker in an angled channel can deliver sound towards a wall or ceiling for more diffuse rear or height channels.

It’s a passive system, so the amplifiers and connections can be kept easily accessible in a rack elsewhere in the home, while the Skybar’s flexible connections allow configuration of the LCR as either a complete left/right/ centre multi-channel set-up — or the entire unit as one channel, with additional units used if delivering sound to larger listening areas.

TDG has recently begun distribution in Australia throgh Canohm: www.canohm.com.au